


Gunman

by As_the_crow_flies



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 08:56:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15433470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/As_the_crow_flies/pseuds/As_the_crow_flies
Summary: Life for an officer in the ZPD can be hard, much harder than many realize... Nick and Judy learn this first hand when their normal routine on the streets is torn apart in a matter of seconds.





	Gunman

Thursday, 8:45 AM

Nick Wilde was a coward, and he knew it. Hell, he even accepted it. So why? Why was he here risking his life when every fiber of his being screamed ‘run’? Maybe it was because of something courageous, like his duty to protect the innocent, or maybe it was just a certain gray Bunny crouched next to him… Yeah, it was probably that. But, whatever the reason he was here, stuck behind a wailing patrol car with a madman trying his very best to kill them. 

The day had started out normally enough, just another average patrol in the great city of Zootopia. It was the usual routine, responding to a minor fender bender and some noise complaints over in Sahara Square. Things proceeded this way until dispatch advised them on a domestic dispute between a pair of Leopards over in city center. Judy being the go-getter of the pair immediately responded to the call, almost giving Nick whiplash when she spun the patrol car around on 3rd street. They arrived at the house sirens blazing, the car screeching to a halt out front of the building. Judy was the first out of the car, and first into the awaiting death trap. 

She never saw it coming, the bark of a rifle, the shots ripping into her vest throwing her small frame against the patrol car with a sickening ‘thump’. Nick barely had time to register what was happening, let alone drag the small Bunny over the hood of the car, leaving a crimson red smear across the ZPD logo. 

“Dispatch this is Wilde, we have shots fired. Hopps is down, I repeat Hopps is down,” Nick yelled into his radio as two more bullets tore past overhead. Beside him the Bunny groaned as her paws strayed to the dark red stain that was soaking through her usually immaculate uniform. Her brilliant amethyst eyes were filled with fear as training took over and she applied pressure to the wound in her shoulder. Panic set in as Nick drew his pistol and stole a glance over the patrol car, he could barely make out the shooter's outline in one of the windows, it was a smaller Mammal armed with a rifle. 

“All available Officers, this is Chief Bogo. Get to Wilde’s position, be aware you are going into an active shooter situation,” a gruff voice belonging to a certain Water Buffalo barked through the radio. Miles away the aforementioned Mammal was hurrying for his personal squad car flanked by a pair of Officers. 

“He put one through my shoulder, it's still in there,” Judy grimaced as a wave of pain washed over her, torturing her small frame. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps, her lungs screaming with every breath. Three shots were fired, one struck her at the ribs thankfully stopped by the trauma plates, the second lodged somewhere deep in her right shoulder. Confusion beset the Bunny’s mind as she patted down her vest, frantically searching for the last shot. Suddenly her amethyst eyes caught the rapidly spreading bloodstain soaking through Nick’s shirt as the Fox pulled the shotgun from the open Passenger side door of the squad car and propped it up between them. ‘He wasn’t wearing his vest,’ the thought struck Judy like a freight train. 

“Don’t worry about me Carrots, just focus on getting your bleeding to stop,” Nick ordered, noticing the Bunny’s concerned gaze land on him. Every fiber in his being yelled to run, to ditch the Bunny beside him and get away, after all that was his instincts. Besides he was a former con artist, a criminal by most standards, so why was he putting his life on the line for a city that never lifted a finger to help him? Maybe he hadn't changed at all, after all he was just a untrustworthy, shifty Fox. 

“It’s not the city you’re protecting idiot,’ the thought hit Nick hard, even harder than the bullet that tore through his body only moments ago. He had become an Officer for Her, he had given up everything he had ever accomplished to be with Her. Even now, in the middle of a street, both of them bleeding and clinging to life he couldn’t help but smile, he was with Her and that’s all that mattered. 

Suddenly another bullet ricocheted off the hood of the patrol car ripping Nick from his thoughts and back into the twisted reality he found himself in. Somewhere in the house the gunman moved exposing most of his upper body for a better shot on the pair of Officers. Taking a deep breath Nick burst from cover, his 9mm leveled on the target’s outline, before he could duck into cover Nick squeezed off two shots, his pistol bucking violently. A scream tore from the house as the shots met their mark deep in the assailant's flesh.

“Nick! There’s another one!” Judy screamed, her warning coming too late to save the Fox. She watched in horror through the squad car’s windows as a Racoon stepped from the house’s open door, his rifle aimed at her partner. Time seemed to crawl to a halt as the Mammal expertly shouldered his rifle, it’s sights zeroed in on their Prey. 

A sickening ‘Crack’ tore through the air as a bullet ripped through Nick’s chest, a spray of crimson exploding from the wound splattering over the concrete as the Fox slowly sunk to his knees, his green eyes wide with fear. Time seemed to slow down as he slumped forward, his lifeless form collapsing into a heap on the hot concrete. 

“N-Nick?” Judy whispered, her amethyst eyes filling with tears at the crumpled sight of the Fox lying in the road. She tried to move, to help in some way, but her body was frozen in place in a mixture of fear and shock. Her ears twitched, picking up the footsteps of the approaching Racoon, but, at the moment she didn’t care, all she could focus on was her partner.

“So much for being the best Officers in the ZPD,” the Racoon chuckled grimly as he stepped into view, his rifle leveled at the wounded Mammal leaned against the car’s back tire. He glanced over Nick’s crumpled form with sick satisfaction, a twisted grin spreading across his maw as he relished in the moment, another kill for his books. He had been doing this for years, but, no kill had tasted as sweet as this. 

“Got any last words Bunny?” He growled, turning his attention to a wide eyed Judy. The dazed Officer blinked, her empty stare gazing up at the Racoon's rifle in acceptance. She took a final deep breath and closed her eyes, waiting for the nightmare she was in to be over. 

A single gunshot echoed across the street, a brutal silence following in it's wake. The wail of sirens could be heard from all around as other Officers rushed to the scene, all fearing the worst. They arrived in droves, their blue uniforms shining in the mid summer afternoon sun as they sprinted down the street from all sides, firearms drawn. 

Medical teams were called, though they wouldn't do much good, every Officer there that day knew that. The scene was a shock, the brutality of the attack shocking even the most grizzled veterans of the force. A pair of bloodied body bags were hurried away from the public eye before a crowd gathered. 

“Sweep the area, make sure we don't miss even a shred of evidence! I want the Mammals responsible for this atrocity at my damn desk by the end of the day,” Chief Bogo roared staring down his Officers as they scrambled around the crime scene, trying to not meet their superior’s gaze. Beside him Delgato paced back and forth furiously, a small cell phone held to his ear. 

“Sir, we managed to contact Hopps’s family, they're on the way,” the Tiger announced, snapping the phone he held in his paw shut. Bogo nodded briskly in response, he was not looking forward to see how the Bunnies would react to the situation. He knew that Judy’s parents never truly approved of their daughter being a Police Officer, they always feared the worst would happen. And it appeared it did.

_

Thursday, 3:22 PM

Chief Bogo sighed deeply as he shifted uncomfortably in his personal squad car’s passenger seat, behind the wheel sat an expressionless Delgato, the day’s events clearly finally taking their toll on him. Both Officers had seen their fair share of death, but every time the foul beast came knocking it still hurt. 

“We can have McCannon speak to the family, you don’t have to do this,” Delgato mumbled as he shifted the car into park in front of the Zootopia memorial hospital. Beside him Bogo took in a long breath and reached out for his door handle. 

“Ricardo, I’ve been on the force for 23 years… I’ve had to visit the families of nine Officers, it’s the least I can do” the Cape Buffalo grunted as he pushed the door open letting the cool afternoon air rush in. With a mighty groan he pushed himself out of the car and directly in front of a small crowd of reporters loitering in front of the Hospital’s doors.

“Chief Bogo! Do you have a comment on the shootings that occurred this morning?” A small Beaver demanded as the crowd surrounded the Officer, many of them pushing their cameras closer to the Mammal desperate to get the best shot. Other voices yelled out questions but were lost to the crowd as each reporter fought to get his inquiry answered first. Anger boiled in Bogo’s gut as he reached forward and snatched the microphone from the Beaver’s hands. 

“There are a pair of Officers barely clinging to life right now, any breath they take could very well be their last, and yet here you filth are trying to profit of their misfortune! My comment is to get out of my way or the headline will be over Police brutality,” Bogo snapped throwing the microphone aside with a glare. All around him the crowd shifted backwards a few steps, their cameras and jaws dropping in a stunned silence. 

“Now! If a single reporter tries to step foot in this hospital, or dares to stop any of my Officers, or their families, will be dealing with me, and you don’t want that,” the Cape Buffalo warned, his gaze boring a hole in whatever Mammal it landed on. Satisfied with the silence and worried glances coming from the reporters he huffed loudly and stalked through the hospital’s front door leaving the crowd staring on in shock. 

“There's going to be hell to pay for that later, press will have a field day with that statement,” Delgato grunted out loud following a few steps behind his Chief. If Bogo heard the Tiger’s comment he gave no indication of it as he turned the corner and stalked up to the reception desk. 

“Officer Hopps just came out of surgery an hour or so ago, she's been placed in room 229,” a Porcupine wearing blue scrubs announced before Bogo had even managed to speak. The Water Buffalo huffed a gruff ‘thanks’ before stomping down the hallway the nurse had just pointed him down. 

The walk to the aforementioned room passed far too quickly to the Buffalo as he found himself hesitating at the wooden door, his hooves balled tightly into fists. Finally the Officer took a deep breath and pushed the door to the hospital room open. 

Inside Bonnie and Stu Hopps were sat together at the foot of Judy’s bed, their eyes glued to the resting form of their daughter. They didn’t bother looking up until Chief Bogo sank to one knee beside them, his massive body dwarfing the pair.

“U-usually I would have a speech written for this type of situation, but, I feel that would be of a disservice to you and your daughter… So, I come to you not as the Chief as the ZPD, instead I kneel here with you as Judy’s friend,” Chief Bogo rumbled, struggling to keep his voice from cracking. A silence came over the gathered mammals as bitter realization fell over them, their thoughts interrupted by the occasional beep of machinery.

“What about the Fox Officer? How is he?” Stu questioned, surprising everyone in the room with the question. Bonny frowned, her purple eyes trying to read her husband’s expression. 

“Nick Wilde, Judy’s partner, is currently undergoing surgery as we speak. He has lost a lot of blood from two gunshot wounds, and continues to lose more from internal bleeding,” Chief Bogo sighed, there was no reason to hide anything from the couple at this point. 

Stu started to question the Bull more, but was interrupted when Bonnie gasped loudly. Both males turned to watch as the Bunny ran over to her daughter's bedside. Tears formed in Stu's eyes as his gaze met a pair of Amethyst orbs groggily staring back at him. 

“How are you feeling Hopps?” Chief Bogo questioned, stepping to his Officer’s side along with her parents. 

“P-peachy as always sir,” the Bunny managed to croak out, the action visibly straining for her. Suddenly her ears perked straight into the air, her eyes darting around the room as a look of panic washed over her features. 

“Wilde is still in surgery, we'll get word from the doctors soon, I'm sure,” Bogo reassured, his usually stern voice betraying the strain he was under almost losing his two best Officers. 

“I want to see him,” Judy demanded with confidence, a fire lighting in her Amethyst eyes that made even the mighty Buffalo hesitate to stand in her way. 

“Bun bun, you need rest,” Bonnie protested, her words falling on deaf ears as the smaller Bunny pushed herself off of the hospital bed to stand unsteadily on her feet. She winced slightly from the pain in her shoulder desperate to not give in to the agony that spasmed through her petite frame. 

“I can't tell you no Hopps, it's not my place,” Bogo muttered when his Officer stared at him trying to see if he would protest. Judy nodded solemnly, silently thanking the stubborn old Bull for letting her go. 

__

Thursday, 4:58 PM

The moment Judy entered the hospital room she felt her world collapse around her, the sight of her partner was soul crushing. His usually immaculate fur was matted and stained with blood, parts of it shaved away so the doctors could operate unhindered. Tubes and and wires coiled around his sleeping form and fed into the machines that were keeping him alive. His face remained eerily still, the usual smug smirk adorning it replaced by a peaceful mask hiding away the pain underneath. 

Tears streamed down her face as she watched the unnaturally slow rise and fall of the Fox’s chest. Beside her Chief Bogo stood silently, his gaze cast downward away from his officers. 

“N-nicholas, you stupid, stupid Fox,” Judy sobbed to the quiet room as she stumbled to her partner's bedside. Her body had become a melting pot of emotions, wracking her petite frame to it's core. 

Reaching the bedside Judy grasped the handrails as she felt her knees give out from the strain of the day. Everything had happened in a second, everything in her world ripped away in the blink of an eye. Three years on the force with her partner erased with the simple pull of a trigger. The damage to Nick's body was extensive, his career would surely be over if he survived this ordeal. 

Shaking her head Judy forced those thoughts to the back of her mind, of course he'd survive, he'd been through worse. Her Fox was a fighter just like her, they could get through this together. 

“He saved you, you know that right?” Chief Bogo grunted shattering the silence that fell over the Bunny and her partner. The small doe jumped slightly at the large Bull's soft tone. 

“He used your shotgun to stop the suspect from killing you, when everyone arrived on scene he was still conscious watching over you,” Bogo continued, his usually confident voice quivering. Judy glanced over at her Chief and was shocked to see tears rolling down his massive cheeks. 

“E-exucse me, Miss Hopps, we need you to return to your room,” a small voice squeaked from the doorway behind the two Officers. Judy opened her mouth to argue with the Opossum but was stopped by Chief Bogo’s massive hoof touching her shoulder. She let out a loud sigh in defeat and shuffled to the door not wanting to leave her partner's side. 

“I'll be back Slick Nick,” she whispered before she disappeared out of the doorway. 

__

Friday, 3:46 AM

__

Judy's amethyst eyes cracked open groggily scanning the hospital room, her body ached as she shifted in her bed. Outside her room she heard Fangmeyer move to the door, seconds later his head appeared in the doorway. 

“Good morning, Cynthia,” Judy rasped, her voice scratchy from lack of use. Outside the Tiger stiffened at the use of her first name, after a second she relaxed and stepped into the room. 

“Not a lot of people use my name, it's refreshing to hear it,” Cynthia whispered, keeping her voice low not wanting to wake anyone. Judy smiled, thankful to have some company to pass the time she was forced to stay in her room. 

“I like to know everyone's name, we're all people under these uniforms after all,” Judy giggled motioning for her guest to take a seat. 

“I suppose that's true,” Cynthia laughed as she said into the chair beside the hospital bed. “So, what kind of person is the great Judy Hopps out of uniform?” She continued. 

“Quite boring I'm afraid, in this girl's case, work is my life,” Judy grinned, a smile gracing her lips for the first time in what felt like an eternity. 

“Surely you do something, no hobbies? Favorite hang out?” Cynthia pushed not wanting to accept the Bunny's answer as truth. Judy paused, pondering the question in her head trying to come back with an answer that would satisfy the Tiger. 

“Well, when we're off Nick and I go to Jumbeax’s ice cream store then walk around town,” Judy revealed, her heart sinking with just the mention of her partner's name. “Sometimes he tells me stories of everything that's happened to him, all of his hustles and failed schemes.”

“We always ended up on the Prairie Bluffs to watch the sunset, it was always so beautiful,” Judy finished, tears freely streaming down her cheeks. Cynthia sat quietly for a few moments as if processing the information. 

“Judy, you… you love him don't you?” The Tiger finally asked quietly, as if she wasn't sure if the should be asking it. Shock registered on the Bunny's face as the conversation ground to a halt, her mind racing to contemplate what was just said. 

O-of course not, that would be so unprofessional...not even to mention the ZPD code of conduct on internal fraternization,” Judy stammered out in a flurry of embarrassment. Despite the early morning gloom, Cynthia could see a deep blush on the Bunny's cheeks. 

“Don't worry Judy, your secrets safe with me,” the Tiger laughed, satisfied with her companion’s flustered answer. 

The Bunny merely grumbled in response, her arms crossed over her chest as tightly as her wounds would permit. The sight of the pouting Officer brought another amused laugh out of the Tiger. 

“Get some sleep Hopps, you need your rest,” Cynthia suggested as she rose to her feet and padded out of the room leaving Judy alone with her thoughts. Within moments the Bunny felt her fatigue creep back into her petite frame. With a sigh she let her eyes drift closed and surrendered to the sweet relief of sleep. 

__

Friday, 12:33 PM

__

 

Chief Bogo sat unmoving, his gaze staring down blankly at the sheet of paper that was placed in his hands minutes prior. The message typed out on the medical form was a just a single sentence, one sentence to change a lifetime. 

Nicholas Piberius Wilde: time of death, 12:03 PM

The mighty water Buffalo sighed and let the paper fall from his hands onto the worn surface of his massive desk. His eyes drifted to the two seats that sat in front of him, seats that had been filled by the precinct’s star partners on many occasions. They were by far the best team of Officers he had the honor of serving with, a cornerstone of the force, but, most importantly they were his friends. The “Sly” Fox and the “Cute” Bunny had somehow wormed their way into the heart of the grizzled veteran, a heart that very much felt the familiar pains of loss. The mammal didn’t even glance up when his office door swung open revealing a pair of Officers dressed sharply in their dress blues. 

“Delgato, Fangmeyer,” Chief Bogo sighed, nodding to each Officer, “let’s go bring Wilde home”. 

—

Sunday, 1:34 PM

—

Nicholas Wilde’s funeral was held on Sunday afternoon, the only attendees were his brother and sisters of the force. Judy Hopps sat silently in her wheelchair throughout the entire ordeal, her amethyst eyes staring forward blankly, devoid of any emotion. Everything around her had blurred together, as her gaze held on the photograph of her partner that had been brought out for the funeral. There was a whirlwind of activity around her as it seemed like a thousand different mammals came to offer their condolences, many of them doing so from behind fake smiles. 

Nick’s casket was lowered into the ground with somber silence, not one mammal finding the words to speak. The tranquilizing silence was only broken by the thunderous bark of seven rifles, each volley making Judy flinch in her wheelchair, the mortifying sound throwing her besieged mind back into that life altering moment. 

“See you later, Slick Nick,” Judy Hopps whispered to her partner’s badge that she held tightly in her paws.


End file.
